Discover Piran

First impressions of Piran

Piran is the most beautiful coastal town in Slovenia — a tiny medieval Venetian-style peninsula jutting into the deep blue Gulf of Trieste, all red-tiled rooftops, narrow stone lanes barely wide enough for a Vespa, and a curving Adriatic waterfront that catches the afternoon sun spectacularly. The town spent over 500 years (1283-1797) as a possession of the Republic of Venice, and the legacy is etched into the urban character: the dramatic oval-shaped Tartini Square (named after the local-born baroque violinist and composer Giuseppe Tartini, whose statue dominates the centre) feels like a slice of Venice's Piazza San Marco lifted and dropped onto the Adriatic coast. Climb the steep stone steps up to the panoramic St George's Cathedral and the dramatic 46m bell tower for the view down over the curved peninsula and out to sea — on clear days you can see the Croatian Istrian coast. The whitewashed walls of the medieval town fortifications loop around the hill above the centre. Don't miss the tiny but excellent Sergej Mašera Maritime Museum, the working historic Piran salt pans 7km south (still harvested by hand using 700-year-old techniques), and a long lunch of grilled sea bass and locally produced Malvažija wine at one of the harbourfront restaurants.